New bistro arrives in downtown

A new “neighborhood bistro” is opening up in downtown Plainville, just as the beautification of the area is nearing completion, and will offer patrons a different kind of eatery meant to compliment the others in town. Patrick Miceli and Michael Drouin will be opening 50 West the first weekend in October in the same spot that once housed former Plainville Pizza House. The pair, who happen to be brothers-in-law, took their business partnership to a next level, and plan to offer an “approachable and comfortable place where people won’t want to leave,” Miceli said. After an ice storm in November last year, Plainville Pizza House closed its doors. Miceli and Drouin took over the business in May, used their remodeling company, Waypoint Property Solutions, LLC, to gut the building and perform a complete renovation of the property, and are getting ready to open the doors to their new eatery and bar. The facility will hold 50-plus in its dining area, there are eight spots for seating at the bar, as well as an outdoor dining patio meant for 40 to 50 more. Inside, the room invites patrons into a warm, home-like setting, with cork flooring, hand-planked tables, and slate accents on the walls and bar. “This is something that doesn’t exist in this town right now,” Miceli said, “so we wanted to pioneer this kind of establishment here.” The executive chef, Niels van Galen, will be serving up “American classics,” like duck, steak, pork chops and seafood, said Miceli. 50 West will put an “eclectic and domestic” spin on those kinds of dishes. Everything served will be fresh, and from local establishments. “Nothing will be frozen, other than our ice cream, which we will make in-house,” Miceli said. “We will be a full, (from) scratch, kitchen.” 50 West will also serve different kinds of burgers, salads, soups and unique “Blue Plate Classics” like macaroni with smoked bacon and tempura fried fish and chips. Miceli said even though the restaurant is called a “bistro,” the portions will be generous, and the price is affordable. He added that the menu will be rotated quarterly to compliment the seasons. “We won’t be serving your mainstream, run of the mill, items,” he said, adding that ingredients will come from local farms and businesses, all from Connecticut or the Northeast. The bar will serve craft-beer and wines from vineyards he and Drouin have visited and have personal connections with. Miceli said they chose downtown Plainville because of its New England appeal. He said he has been using local businesses for his own needs, like signs and embroidering, and local entrepreneurs and town staff have been welcoming. “It’s nice to come to a town of 17,000 people and make a splash in it,” he said. Miceli and Drouin have backgrounds that compliment each other, which is why they’ve added another business partnership under their belts. Miceli comes from the world of finance, and has opened a gelato shop in southern California and worked in the hospitality industry. Drouin’s background is in construction management and he has worked in restaurants his whole life. They both run their development company, Waypoint Property Solutions, LLC, and were able to do most of the work on 50 West themselves and put their own taste in design into the new eatery. Drouin, a resident of Southington, said opening the new restaurant with his brother-in –law is “exciting, we’ve built this from the ground up; we’ve put a lot of blood and sweat into this.” “People can expect to enter into a warm, inviting and elegant environment where the service and hospitality are the forefront, and the superior quality of the food will really shine through,” Miceli said. The grand opening of 50 West, 50 West Main St., Plainville, will be held on the weekend of Oct. 4 to 6. The restaurant will offer lunch and dinner, seven days per week. The hours are Sunday to Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., with the bar open until midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday to Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the bar open until 2 a.m. Miceli added they plan to open up a coffee and tea house next door to 50 West in the next six months. Visit www.50westct.comfor more information.